My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a renaissance woman working full time to live, to love, to learn, to be useful, and to be interesting.

June 2014

June 25, 2014

Duke and I arrived home from our almost six week long road trip through the US, Mexico and Guatemala this afternoon. Yesterday we stopped at Hoover Dam and took the tour. It is an awe inspiring place both from its beauty and from the perspective of what an accomplishment it was to build.

We drove 7,075 miles and traveled without our car mostly in Guatemala for an additional 630 miles.

We have so many wonderful memories of so many great places and experiences. It is going to be an adjustment to be be home.

June 24, 2014

Yesterday, June 23 we crossed the border back to the U.S. on our way home. It was an uneventful drive. Last time we crossed the border by car from the Mexico to the U.S. we waited in line three hours at the border. This time it took us 15 minutes and they didn't even ask us what we had bought in Mexico.

June 22, 2014

We had a wonderful breakfast sitting out on the patio this morning. We took another walk around Alamos. Then we packed the car and left. We wanted to look at the ruins of the silver mine that Alamos existed to support. We found the town about a mile south of the main road. The dry river bed through the village was also the Main Street.

After looking around a bit we headed north to Guaymas where we are spending our last night in Mexico.

This afternoon after we arrived in Guaymas we went to a nearby restaurant to watch the US - Portugal World Cup football game. When we got there Portugal was ahead 1-0, then the US scored. Then we scored again. And then with just seconds to go the Portugal tied it up. I couldn't believe it! All but about two people in the restaurant were cheering for the US.

June 21, 2014

Today was our longest day of driving in a Mexico so far - about 370 miles. Alamos is a small colonial mining town that has really retained its charm. We have stayed here twice before on our way north to the border.

This morning while Duke was getting the car from the parking lot a man arrived selling pastries out of a push cart. After he sold some to a woman with her head out the window across the street I bought two. They were still warm! We enjoyed them with coffee as we headed north.

We are staying at a lovely restored hotel built around a court yard. The temperature was over a hundred when we arrived but while we were out exploring it started to pour and cool off.

We just got back from dinner. It Is pleasantly cool and we are sitting on the patio outside our room reading and enjoying the night air.

June 20, 2014

Eleven years ago today Duke and I were married. It has been a wonderful eleven years! How better to celebrate than with another day full of Mexican vacation adventures in Mazatlán.

I love sitting at a sidewalk table and people watching. This morning we had our breakfast sitting at a sidewalk table right outside our hotel. We watched as a parade of really cute little boys and girls each holding an adult's hand went by every few minutes. The girls all had on sailer dresses and had bows in their hair. I assumed they were on the way to preschool in their uniforms.

After breakfast we went across the street and found out we could pay a small fee and see the inside of Teatro Ángela Peralta. They had pictures of what it looked like before it was rebuilt. It was a complete ruin.

But now it is a completely restored arts center and theater. We went into the theater. On the stage were all the cute little girls in sailer dresses doing a dress rehearsal of a dance performance to the song Soy Libre from Frozen ( Let it Go). Watching them practice made me so happy! They looked and danced exactly like my daughters did when they were four years old in their dance recitals. It must be a universal ritual of Spring! Little girls everywhere are princesses dancing in dance recitals.

After breakfast we explored Mazatlán some more then had ice cream in the square. During the day it is so hot that we saw few people out and about. Tonight though after dinner we strolled around the square. Everyone was out walking, sitting, eating and listening to the live music.

We had dinner on the roof of our hotel and listened to a great singer, Cheryl Gaudet. We bought her CD to be a reminder of our very special anniversary in Mazatlán.